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24/7 emergency boarding and structural protection across New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. Rapid response to secure your property after fire, storm damage, vandalism, or break-ins.
When a fire, storm, vandalism event, or break-in damages your property, the first concern after addressing the immediate emergency is securing the structure. Broken windows, damaged doors, breached walls, and missing roofing leave your property exposed to weather, intruders, and further damage. Restorian provides 24/7 emergency board up services across the entire tri-state area, dispatching crews to secure damaged properties within hours of your call. Fast structural protection prevents the secondary damage that can multiply your loss.
Board up is required any time your property has openings that cannot be properly secured by normal means. The most common scenarios where homeowners and business owners call for emergency board up include:
Each scenario requires different boarding approaches and different materials. A small broken window after a vandalism incident might need a single sheet of plywood. A house with multiple windows blown out by a hurricane might need extensive plywood coverage and tarp installation. A fire-damaged structure might need full perimeter board up plus structural shoring before crews can safely begin restoration work.
When Restorian arrives at a property requiring emergency board up, the work proceeds through a defined sequence designed to secure the structure quickly while documenting everything for your insurance carrier.
Step one: assessment and safety. Our crews assess the damage to determine which openings need to be secured, what structural risks exist, and whether any immediate hazards need to be addressed before boarding can begin. Properties damaged by fire often have weakened structural sections that require shoring before any work can safely proceed near them.
Step two: photo and video documentation. Before any boarding is installed, we document the existing damage with photos and video. This documentation is critical for the insurance claim because it captures the original loss before any temporary repairs cover or alter the affected areas.
Step three: rapid boarding installation. We install plywood, OSB, or steel security panels over broken windows, damaged doors, and structural openings. Tarp installation covers roof damage to prevent rain intrusion. The boarding is fastened securely to prevent removal by intruders and to withstand weather until permanent repairs can be made.
Step four: site security and final walkthrough. We secure all entry points, remove debris that creates hazards, and walk the property with you to confirm everything has been addressed. You receive a complete documentation package including before-and-after photos that go directly to your insurance carrier.
For most board up jobs, the entire process is completed within a few hours of the initial assessment. Larger properties or complex damage may require a full day or extended work into multiple visits.
Speed matters more for board up than most people realize. An unsecured property after a fire or storm event creates several immediate risks that compound quickly.
The first risk is weather damage. Rain, snow, or wind through unsecured openings can cause water damage, structural deterioration, and mold growth far beyond the original event. A fire-damaged home with broken windows during a rainstorm can develop water damage equal in scope to the fire damage itself within 48 hours.
The second risk is intruders. Unsecured properties attract opportunistic theft, especially after high-profile events like fires. Restoration sites are commonly targeted because criminals know occupants have likely evacuated and valuable items may still be inside or in temporary storage.
The third risk is liability. An unsecured property creates legal exposure if someone enters and is injured, whether they are a curious neighbor, a trespasser, or an unauthorized person attempting to help.
Restorian responds to emergency board up calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Most addresses across our core service area in northern New Jersey see crews on site within 90 minutes to 2 hours of the call. We carry boarding materials, fasteners, and protective equipment on every truck so we can begin work immediately on arrival.
Different damage scenarios require different boarding materials and installation methods. Restorian uses materials and techniques appropriate for the specific situation, including:
We size and customize the materials to the specific opening, fasten them securely with appropriate hardware, and ensure the boarding can withstand weather until permanent repairs are completed.
Emergency board up is typically covered by standard homeowner and commercial property insurance policies as part of the broader claim for the original damage. Most policies include emergency mitigation coverage that pays for reasonable temporary repairs to prevent further damage, and board up qualifies as exactly this type of mitigation.
The key to smooth claim processing is documentation. Insurance carriers want to see photos of the original damage before boarding was installed, the boarding itself, and itemized records of the materials and labor. Restorian provides all of this documentation as part of every job, prepared in Xactimate format that insurance adjusters recognize and trust.
We work with all major insurance carriers including NJM Insurance Group, State Farm, USAA, Allstate, AIG, Progressive, American Family Insurance, Nationwide, Liberty Mutual, and Farmers Insurance. For most board up jobs, payment is coordinated directly through the insurance claim, so the property owner does not need to pay out of pocket and seek reimbursement separately.
For most addresses across our core service area in northern New Jersey, our crews are typically on site within 90 minutes to 2 hours of the call. Properties in central New Jersey, southern New York, and Connecticut typically see 2 to 4 hour response depending on location. We dispatch crews 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we carry boarding materials on every truck so we can begin work immediately on arrival without delays for material runs.
Properly installed board up using quality materials should last weeks to months without issue. Plywood and OSB are weather-resistant for several months when fastened correctly. Steel panels can secure a property for extended periods if repairs are delayed. Roof tarps installed with weighted edge systems typically last 30 to 90 days depending on weather conditions. The board up is designed to be temporary, but it is built to hold reliably until permanent restoration work can replace it.
Technically yes, but there are several reasons most insurance carriers and restoration professionals recommend against it. Insurance carriers prefer documented professional board up because it ensures the work was done correctly and prevents claims for additional damage caused by inadequate temporary repairs. Professional board up also provides photo documentation that strengthens your overall claim. From a safety standpoint, fire-damaged structures and storm-damaged buildings often have hazards that are not visible to untrained eyes. Falls, structural collapse, and exposure to hazardous materials are real risks. The cost of professional board up is almost always covered by insurance, so paying out of pocket to DIY usually does not make economic sense either.
Restorian handles every phase of property damage restoration under one project manager, including emergency board up, water mitigation, fire damage restoration, smoke and odor removal, biohazard cleanup, mold remediation, structural repairs, and full reconstruction back to pre-loss condition. When you call us for emergency board up, the same project manager who oversees the boarding can transition directly into managing the full restoration if you choose to use us for the complete project. There is no obligation, but the continuity often results in faster timelines, better insurance coordination, and less back-and-forth between separate contractors.
Properly installed board up causes minimal damage to the underlying structure. We use fasteners and installation techniques that minimize holes and damage to the materials surrounding the openings. When permanent repairs replace the board up, the small fastener holes are easily addressed during the reconstruction process. Improperly installed board up using oversized fasteners, wrong locations, or poor technique can damage trim, siding, or framing, which is one reason professional installation is recommended over DIY approaches.
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We act fast so your property—and peace of mind—can be restored without delay. With state-of-the-art drying equipment and expert technicians, Restorian is your trusted partner in water damage recovery.
With years of hands-on restoration experience, we’ve handled everything from flooded basements to full-scale commercial water disasters.
Thousands of restoration projects completed across New Jersey.
IICRC-certified technicians with proven results.
Moisture detection tools ensure no damage is left behind.
Water emergencies don’t wait—we’re always on call.